John Nicholas letter to James Rees(1802 March 2)
- MS 2008.7
- 1 item (4 pp.)
John Nicholas, Falmouth, VA, letter to James Rees, Geneva, NY. In this letter, Nicholas discusses his impending move to Geneva. He mentions the receipt of a survey done by Capt. Baker and his concerns of the possibility of flooding at the mill site. Nicholas desires to send his slaves to New York before his own departure, but is prevented by the laws of that state. Nicholas suggests to Rees that the law should be changed.
John Nicholas was born in Williamsburg, Virginia. He was the son of Robert Carter Nicholas, brother of Wilson Cary Nicholas, governor of Virginia, and George Nicholas, attorney-general of Kentucky. A lawyer by training, Nicholas was elected to Congress as a Republican in 1793, serving Virginia until 1801. In 1803, he moved to Geneva, New York. Nicholas was elected to the state senate in 1806 and served for three years. He served as judge of the court of common pleas of Ontario, New York until his death in Geneva in 1819.